Ruffling and stitching machine



June 5, 1945. A. N. HALE 2,377,777

' RUFFLING AND STIT CI-IING MACHINE I Filed ma 'zs, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 5, 1945. A N, ALE 2,377,777

RUFFLING AND STITCHING MACHINE 7 Filed May 25, l944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 5, 1945 UNITED "STATES OFFICE ISTITGHING Arthur N. Hale, fitratford; Gorin -assign!!! to The Singer Manufacturing Company, EElizabeth,

N. J., :aworporation of NewoJ'ersey AppIicatioEMayQE, 1944, Seriail"No."53.7268

-1 7 Claims.

.This invention relates to improvements in rufliing mechanisms for sewing machines and more particularly to .ruflling mechanisms of .thecamcontrolled type. The primary object of the inventionlis tovprovide an improved ruffling mechanism so organized as to be adaptable toa wide variety ofneeds-by .a simplemanual adjustment.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter setforth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment "of the invention, from which [the :several featuresof the invention and the advantages attained thereby WillebB readily understood-by those skilled in theart.

.In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a broken-out, partially sectioned front view of a sewing machine embodying a preferred form :of the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view :ofa detail; .in part sectioned on the line .2-2 of :Fig. 1; Fig. 3 .iszan elevation of the left-hand end of the machine; Fig. .4 .is a section on .theline 44 of Fig. 1; .Fig. .5 is .a broken-out View, in part :sec-

tioned on the line 5--.5 of Fig. 3; .Ei'gs. 6 and 7 arerespectively .front and rear views .of the camfollower carrier portion :of the mechanism; Fig. 8 isan elevation corresponding to thelower portion of Fig. 3 but viewed from the. reverseside. For purposes .of "illustration, the invention .is shown applied to a -.-zig-.zag stitch sewing .machine of the kind shown and described in prior Patent ."No. 1,020,089, dated-March V12 1 912.

As illustratedhereimsuch machineisconstructed with a .frame havinga .bed I from .one end of which .rises a .hollow standard .2 supporting a bracket arm .3 which overhangs bed l and terminates at its free .endfinarhead 4. Journaled for .rotation in suitable bearings provided in bracket .arm 3 is a main or .arm-shaft-5 carrying at one end thereof a conventional needle-bar actuating .cran'lc- .6. The crank .6 is suitably connected by a I! to a needle-liar 8, thereby to reciprocate the needle-dear vertically .in thehead 4. .An eye-pointed needle 9. is carried by the lower end of needle-bar 8 for vertical reciprocation therewith.

As described in the aforesaid prior patent, to which reference maybe had Iorjfurther details, the needle-hart is vibrated laterally in the head 4. .Tothis end, 'thetneedle-baris .journaledin a carrying frame I0 which isp'ivotally mounted on a'stud II on the head 4. Connected to frame [0 "by a pivot stud 1'2 is a connecting rod ;lf3, the

arranged to v.be driven through. suitable gearing from the .main or arm-shaft '5. ".The eccentric 1'4 .reciprocates the connecting rod 113 which vibrates thaframe .10 about itspivo't-stud l I ,thereby llaterally vibrating thencedle-bar .8 and imparting the .-zig-.zag motion to the .endwise recip rocatory needle '9.

Carried by the-head 4 isa sleeve 115 .in which is mounted the presser bar 'I'B to the lower end of which .is secured the .presser .foot I'T which-co operates with the .dog 18 in feeding the clam through the-machine. I'Ilhe.underbeddrivemechanism for the feed dog 18 .andfor the loop-taker, illustrated in ,part in dotted outline :in Fig. .1, is

quite unrelated to the .present invention and henceneednot be described.

.Protruding from the rear .of .arm 3 are upper and lower bosses v19,20 in which .is journa'leda vertically --.disposed.cam-.shaft v2-.l. Secured .to the cam-shaftil is a wcrm-wheelzz arranged ztobe driven Joya worm 23 secured to the main'or arm shaft 5.; and keyed to the lower end of-cameshaft 2 1 is a series of differently formed cams, four such cams being shown marked 24, .25, 2'6 and 27.. The cams are preferably slightly separated by r-spacingwashers and securely locked on the shaft-byn-ut 28. In the present instance, and for reasons mentioned below, the worm-to-worm wheel ratioxis-.such that the cam shaft 21 :makes one complete revolution for each fl-2.revolutions-of the arm. shaft 5, i. e. .for each 72 stitch reciprocations of the needle.

,By means .of a parallel link support, a camfollower rcarrier generally designated 29 is suspended beneath the arm 3 and directly in front of .the cams 24-21. As more particularly shown in s-E-ig. 4, the upper, rearwardly projecting; arm 3 0:ofcarrierr-29 is supported by alinkfil from the rear of arm :3. The lower, forwardly projecting arm-1314 :of carrier 2-9 issupported by a crank :35 which is secured to a rock shaft 36 jou-rnal'ed the bosses 3:1, 38 at thelower forward edge of arm 3 :(Fig. 1). By means -:of .a tension spring 39,

' theends of which are anchored in pierced lugs,

4| formed respectively-on the lower-end-of bracket 32 and the top .of carrier 29, the carrier is biased toward the rear .of the machine; and .to limitits movement in that direction, therear end .of arm 30..isformed as a stop 12 located to engage .a nonmetallic cushion stop 13 mounted inthe lug 44 which projects laterally'fromthe'lower, cam shaft journal'boss'Zll.

The carrier .29 supports "a cam-follower t5, the

opposite end ofwhich embraces an eccentric inner end of which is adapted to engage one or another of the cams 24-21. The body or stem of the cam-follower is threaded to receive a knurled adjusting wheel 46 located in the vertical slot 41 formed in the carrier 29, The cam-follower itself is located and movable in the vertical slots 48, 49 in the carrier. For the purpose of locating the cam-follower 45 in horizontal alinement with any one of the cams 24-21, the walls of slot 48 are stepped, as by the part-circular enlargements 56 (Fig. 6) which are alined with the several cams and are dimensioned to receive the reduced sleeve portion of an adjustment stop member 52. As shown in Fig. 2, a compression spring 53, encircling the outer threaded end of cam-follower 45 is located between the underside of the head of a screw 54 in the outer end of the follower and a shoulder formed within member 52, thereby maintaining the sleeve portion 5| of member 52 in its selected opening 56. By pulling out member 52 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 and thereby withdrawing the sleeve portion from its opening 50, the follower is freed for bodily vertical adjustment in slots 48, 49 to re-aline the cam-follower with whatever cam it is desired to use. As will be recognized, parallel link mounting of the cam-follower carrier maintains the free end of the cam-follower square to the cam surfaces at all times.

The function of rock shaft 36 is to actuate the ruffler blade, below described; and, as will be understood, the several cams are selected to provide the desired variety of rock shaft and rufller blade motions appropriate to the general character of the work to be performed. In the illustrated machine, the maximum and the minimum diameters of cams 24, and 26 are the same, the sole difference between these cams residing in the number of teeth, or rise and fall portions, with which their peripheries are formed. As shown, cam 24 is provided with four such teeth (see Fig. 5), cam 25 with three, and cam 26 with six. Cam-21, which is of smaller maximum diameter than the other three, is provided with twelve such teeth. Thus cams 24, 25 and 26 all impart to rock shaft 36 oscillations which are of the same kind and degree but differing in frequency or number of oscillations per revolution of the cam shaft 2 I. Cam 2'1, on the other hand, imparts to the rock shaft 36 oscillations which differ both in degree and frequency from the other three, being shorter and more frequent.

It will be noted that the preferred number of cam shaft revolutions per revolution of the main or arm shaft 5, viz. I2, is an exact multiple of the numbers of the teeth formed on each of the cams, which results in an even number of stitches for each ruiiler blade oscillation of rock shaft 36; also, that with the same gear ratio, cams having eight or nine or various other numbers of teeth may be substituted, as may be required.

' Secured to rock shaft 36 and depending therefrom is a crank or carrier-arm 55; and pivotally mounted at the lower end of the carrier-arm, as by screw 56, is a ruiiler blade 56. A light pring 59 is biased to urge the foot 51 and rufiler blade 58 downwardly into engagement with the cloth passing through the machine.

At the end opposite to that from which the rufiler blade projects, the pivotal foot 5'! is engaged by the lower end of a tilting rod 60 mounted for endwise movement in guide lugs 6|, 62 projecting from carrier arm 55; and at its upper end tilting rod 66 is engaged by the arm 63 of a lever pivotally mounted on the carrier arm 55. The other arm 64 of the tilting-rod lever operates between stop screws 65, 66, the degree of movement permitted being such that the miller blade is elevated from the machine bed when arm 64 engages screw 66, i. e. when the tilting rod 60 is fully depressed, as shown in Fig. 8. At the other limit of movement of arm 64 the tilting rod 66 is free to move upwardly underthe influence of spring 59 and the rufiler blade isurged downwardly into ruflling position, as will be understood.

Pivotally connected to the lower end of lever arm 64 is an actuating rod 6'! which passes through a guide hole 68 in a bracket 69 which is clamped to sleeve l5. Also mounted on bracket 69 is a friction device adapted to retard endwise movement of the rod 61, thereby to hold said rod substantially stationary throughout so much of the movement of carrier arm 55 as is necessary to cause lever arm 64 to swing from the one to the other of its stop positions as determined by screws 65, 66. Further movement of carrier arm 55 overcomes the resistance of the friction device and bodily moves the actuating rod throughout the balance of the stroke of the carrier arm. In

the form illustrated, the friction device comprises a bow spring T6, the central portion of which is perforated to provide clearance for the actuating rod 6'! and is located in a slot H in bracket 69. The free ends of spring Ell carry opposed friction-blocks l2 and-the set of the spring is such that the blocks frictionally clamp the actuating rod 61 against free longitudinal movement.

Thus, when carrier arm 55 starts to swing to the right from the position illustrated in Fig. 8, actuating rod 6'! is held stationary by the friction-blocks l2. Lever arm 64, which is thereby restrained against following carrier arm 55, is caused to swing about its pivot, elevating lever arm 63, freeing tilting rod 66 for upward movement and permitting spring 59 to lower the ruffler blade into rufiiing position. When lever arm 64 strikes stop screw 65 it is thereafter carried along bodily with carrier arm 55, the continued movement of the latter forcing actuating rod 61 to the right between, and overcoming the resistance of the friction-blocks 12. On the return movement of carrier arm 55 the frictionblocks 12 operate similarly to retard the return movement of actuating rod 61, causing lever arm 64 to swing back into engagement with stop screw 65 and, through lever arm 63, depressing tilting rod 60 and elevating the miller blade. The described construction frees the work from drag which would otherwise be imposed during the retracting movement of the ruffler blade.

From the foregoing description of the component elements, the operation of the entire ruffiing mechanism will be readily understood. Rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow on the face of cam 24 in Fig. 5, the pre-selected cam actuates the rock shaft 36 in the manner described, resulting in a rapid inward or ruflling motion of carrier arm 55 (during which the blade 58 is depressed to firmly engage the cloth) and a gradual outward or return motion of arm 55 (during which the blade 58 is slightly elevated so as not to drag on the cloth). The rapid,.inward movements of the cam follower carrier 29 are limited and cushioned by stop 43, as above indicam follower 45 can be adjusted toward and from.

asizm'm tha cams so as-Jto partakemorf moreworsless ot the rise of the, cam teeth, thereby increasing 'or decreasing the stroke of the; rufiler blade and the sizerofrthle ruffle.

, Having thus'setitorth the nature of e invention, whatI claim herein is: Y

1-. In a machineof'the'character described having .a frame including an overhanging arm en-= closing a main shaft, the: combination] therewith of a cam-shaft journaled on the arm, reduction gearing driving the cam-shaft from the main shaft, a lurality of' differently formed cams mounted on: the cant-shaft, a cam fcllewer carrier, parallel link members supportingthe carrier from the arm freedom for'mevement toward and from the cams, a cam-foll'owenmount mounted on the cam-shaft,a cam-follower carrier, parallel link members supporting the car-- rier from the arm with freedom for movement toward and from the cams, a cam follower mounted on the carrier and adjustable to engage the periphery of any one of the came, a millerblade, and means for imparting-the'motion-of thecam-follower to the rufficr-blade.

3. In a machine of'the character described having a frame including an-overhanging a rmenclosing amain shaft, the combination therewith of a cam-shaft journaled on the arm, reduction gearing driving the cam-shaft from the main shaft, a plurality of differently formed cams mounted on the cam-shaft, a cam-follower supported from the arm and adjustable for engagement with the periphery of any one of said cams,

a miller-blade, and means operatively connected to said cam-follower for actuating said rufilerblade.

' 4. In a machine of the character described, the

combination of a cam-shaft, a plurality of dilrerently formed cams mounted thereon, a cam-follower carrier, parallel link members supporting the carrier adjacent the periphery of the came with freedom for movement toward and from the same, a cam-follower supported in the carrier and adjustable therein for engagement with the periphery of any one of said cams, a rock-shaft supporting and actuated by one of said parallel link members, and a rufller-blade actuated by said rock-shaft. 1

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a cam-shaft, a plurality of differently formed cams mounted thereon, a camfollower carrier mounted with freedom for movement toward and from the cams, a cam-follower supported in the carrier and adjustable therein for engagement with the periphery of any one of said cams, a ruffier-blade, and means for imparting the motion of the carrier to the rufflerblade.

6. In a machine of the character described, the

combination of a cam-shaft, a plurality of differently formed cams mounted thereon, a camfollower carrier mounted with freedom for move,- ment toward and from the cams, stop means for limiting the movement of the carrier toward the cams,acam follewerisupported in thecarrie 'and adjustable relatively thereto -to: vary the movement imparted bythe cams to the carrier, a rut fier-blade, andmeans a responsive to the movement, of the "carrier operative to actuate the ruffier-blade. j

I '7. In a machine-of the character described,the combination of acam -shaftya plurality of differently formed cams mounted thereon, a camfollower carrier mounted with freedom for movement toward and from th -cams, stop means for limiting the movement of" the carrier toward the cams, acam-follower supported in the carrier, means for adjusting the follower forengagemen-t with any one of the-said cams, means for adjusting the follower relatively to the carrier in; a directiontoward and from the cams to vary the movement imparted by the came to the carrier, a rufller blade', and means responsiveto the movement of the carrier operative't-o actuate the ruffler-blade. 1 v I 8. In a machine ofthe characterdescribedhaving' a" frame including anove'r'hangingarm enclosing a main shaft, the combination'therewith of a cam-shaft journaled on the arm, reduction gearing driving the cam-shaft from the main shaft, cam means mounted on the cam-shaft, a cam-follower carrier; parallel'link members supporting thefca'rrier from the arm with freedom for movement toward and from the cam means, a cam-follower mounted on the carrier and adjustable relatively thereto tova-ry the movement imparted by the cam means: to the carrier, a rockshaft supporting and actuated by oneof said parallel link members, and a miller-blade actuated by said rock-shaft. I

9. In a machine of the c-haracter described having a frame including an overhanging arm enclosing a main shaft, the combination therewith of a cam-shaft journaled on the arm, reduction gearing driving the cam-shaft from the main shaft, cam means mounted on the cam-shaft, a cam-follower carrier, parallel link members supporting the carrier from the arm with freedom for movement toward and from the cam means, a cam-follower mounted on the carrier and adjustable relatively thereto to vary the movement imparted by the cam means to the carrier, a millerblade, and means for imparting the motion of the cam-follower to the ruffler-blade.

10, In a machine of the character described, the combination of a cam-shaft, cam means mounted thereon, a cam-follower carrier, parallel link members supporting the carrier adjacent the periphery of the cam means with freedom for movement toward and from the same, a cam-follower supported in the carrier and adjustable relatively thereto to vary the movement imparted by the cam means to the carrier, a rockshaft supporting and actuated by one of said parallel link members, and a rufiler-blade actuated by said rock-shaft.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a cam-shaft, cam means mounted thereon, a cam-follower carrier mounted with freedom for movement toward and from the cams, a cam-follower supported in the carrier and adjustable relatively thereto to vary the movement imparted to the carrier by the cam means, a rufiler-blade, and means for imparting the motion of the carrier to the ruffier-blade.

12. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a cam-shaft, cam means mounted thereon, a cam-follower carrier mounted with freedom for movement toward and from the cam means, stop means for limiting the move ment of the carrier toward the cam means, a camfollower supported in the carrier and adjustable relatively thereto to vary the movement imparted by the cams to the carrier, a miller-blade, and means responsive to the movement of the carrier adapted to actuate the ruifler-blade. g1

13. In a machine of the character described having a frame including an overhanging arm enclosing a main shaft, a rock-shaft journaled on the arm, means actuated by the main shaft for oscillating the rock-shaft, a ruflier-blade carrier arm' secured to the rock shaft, a ruffler-blade pivotally supported on the carrier arm, and aruffier-blade tilting rod mountedfor endwise movement on the carrier arm, the combinationtherewith of an actuating memberfor said tilting rod, spring means tending tolower the ruflier-blade,

elevate the tilting rod and move saidactuatingmember, friction means acting on said actuating member adapted to restrain the same against movement by said spring means, and means responsive to movement of the carrier arm adapted to overcome the resistance of said friction means.

14. In a machine of the character described having a frame including an overhanging arm enclosing a main shaft, a rock-shaft journaled on the arm, means actuated by the main shaft for oscillating the rock-shaft, a ruiiler-blade carrier arm secured to the rock shaft, and a rufller-blade pivotally supported on the carrier arm, the com-, bination therewith of spring means tending to lower the ruiiler-blade, friction means adapted torestrain movement of the ruflier-blade by :said

spring means, and means responsive'to movement of the carrier arm adapted to overcome'the resistance of said friction means;

15. In a machine of the character described,

the combination with amok-shaft, a ruffler-blade carrier arm secured thereto, and a rufiier-blade pivotally supported on the carrier arm, of spring means tending to tilt the ruflier-blade about its pivotal support, friction means adapted to restrain tilting movement of the rufiler -blade by said spring means, and means responsive to movement of the rock-shaft adapted to overcome the resistance of said friction means.

16. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a rock-shaft, a ruffler-blade carrier arm secured thereto, and a rufiler-blade pivotally supported on the carrier arm, of spring means tending to tilt the ruffler-blade about its pivotal support, a member mounted on and movable relatively to the carrier arm to control the tilting movement of the ruiiler-blade about its pivotal support, and friction means adapted to restrain bodily movement of said member with said carrier arm and thereby effect the aforesaid movement of said member relatively to the carrier arm.

17. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a rock-shaft, a ruflier-blade carrier arm secured thereto, and a rufiler-blade pivotally supported on the carrier arm, of spring means tending to tilt the ruflier-blade about its pivotal support, a member mounted on and movable relatively to the carrier arm to control the movement of the rufiler-bladeabout its pivotal support, friction means adapted to restrain bodily movement of said member with said carrier arm and thereby effect the aforesaid movement of said member relatively to the carrier arm, and means responsive to predetermined movement of the rock-shaft adapted to overcome the resistance of said friction means.

ARTHUR N. HALE. 

